Cardinals defense is rough on opposing QBs

Arizona Cardinals' Greg Toler (28) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions as teammate Kerry Rhodes (25) follows during the second half in an NFL football game on Sunday Dec. 16, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Lions 38-10. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

If you're wondering why Ray Horton is considered a hot coaching commodity while he's working for a team that is a disappointing 5-9 through 14 games, the answer is simple.

Of the 12 starting quarterbacks the Cardinals have faced this season, nine of the them have performed substantially lower than their season standard based on ESPN's Total QBR statistic. Only Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, San Francisco's Alex Smith and Miami's Ryan Tannehill have performed better against Arizona than their respective season marks.

The 12 primary quarterbacks Arizona has faced to this point in the season have combined to complete 54.5 percent of their passes with 16 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and a 33.3 Total QBR score against the Cardinals.

Those same quarterbacks have completed 62.8 percent of their passes with 212 touchdowns, 112 picks and a 61.2 QBR score against everyone else.

It'll be interesting to keep an eye on what Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler can do against a recharged Cardinals defense Sunday.

In case you're wondering, Cutler's Total QBR for the year is 49.5 with 17 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.